Official thread TdF Stage 14 Colmar - Besançon - 199 km

[Anonymous]

Yep, I agree that the Columbia tactics was pretty lame, however by the "he deserved to wear the MJ" I meant that Hincapie deserved to be in a yellow for one day at Le Tour, after all, this is his 14th Tour! Yet, he didnt dig deep into his suitcase of courage.

Yea, he really should have turned himself inside out* more. .

*thats the official cycling terminology

 

[Polka Dot Punter]

Why did Garmin chase? They didn't really need to

Garmin hate Columbia...they find them arrogant and saw a chance to get retribution and did just that. And frankly, I'm amazed at how many people on here are complaining about that. Is it because Hincapie is American?

 

[Wergeland]

And that sprint didn't look bad to me compared with other TdF sprints I've seen. Hushovd went in a gap betwen Cav and the barrier, that wasn't going to work.

Take another look. Cav definitely changed lanes at the end there, which is not allowed. He didn't even try to sprint, but was constantly looking to his sides and back trying to block Hushovd. Stupid move. He could have easily outsprinted Hushovd if he had tried, instead he tried to block him (and push him into the rails.)

 

[Anonymous]

Take another look. Cav definitely changed lanes at the end there, which is not allowed. He didn't even try to sprint, but was constantly looking to his sides and back trying to block Hushovd. Stupid move. He could have easily outsprinted Hushovd if he had tried, instead he tried to block him (and push him into the rails.)

Yea, and he definitely flicked right just before the line. It was not as bad as I have seen, but he did intentionally impede Thor, and it did have implications for the Green.

 

[Pennypacker]

People who are upset at Garmin for wanting to put the screws to Columbia just have not been paying attention. Garmin must be laughing their a$$ off with what happened to Cav at the line and the chase to fark GH. I got a good chuckle over all this. Let me rephrase that.....I, like Garmin, laughed my a$$ off. Waaa George!

 

[indurain666]

I am glad Hincapie didn't get to wear yellow, the guy is the Bobke of modern cycling, an idiot. He doesn't deserve it. And, no, its not because he is American (in fact he has more Colombian genes, and I am/was a fan of the likes of Levi, Hamilton, Rodriguez) but because he wasted his talent being a gregario, trying to become a mountain guy for Lance instead of moving out of USPS/Discovery and become a true classics rider. That guy could have won Paris-Roubaix with the right team and proper training (not July TDF training during winter).

Like they say in Spanish, even God dislikes idiots

Can't wait for the Alps...me wants some racing ..

 

[seidodge]

can't believe some people here

its pro bike racing and teams are figting for every dollar and euro of sponsorship money. They'll do whatever they can for their teams, and whatever they can to stop their rivals

Garmin is a direct competitor in the US with Columbia and will never give them an inch. Rightly so

When you add in personalities like Cavendish it's prety obvious that Columbia aren't well liked in the peleton either. I'd magine most feel they've had enough success in this tour

Good day for katusha, Ag2R and Cervelo

Bad day for Columbia

 

[IndyJoe]

I am glad Hincapie didn't get to wear yellow, the guy is the Bobke of modern cycling, an idiot. He doesn't deserve it. And, no, its not because he is American (in fact he has more Colombian genes, and I am/was a fan of the likes of Levi, Hamilton, Rodriguez) but because he wasted his talent being a gregario, trying to become a mountain guy for Lance instead of moving out of USPS/Discovery and become a true classics rider. That guy could have won Paris-Roubaix with the right team and proper training (not July TDF training during winter).

Like they say in Spanish, even God dislikes idiots

Can't wait for the Alps...me wants some racing ..

I have read a lot of misinformed posters on this board, but you sir take the cake. The only "idiot" I see is you.


Here's what Brad Wiggins had to say:

I don't quite understand what went on today. George Hincapie is a legend and deserves to be in yellow tonight!

 

[Mellow Velo]

Take another look. Cav definitely changed lanes at the end there, which is not allowed. He didn't even try to sprint, but was constantly looking to his sides and back trying to block Hushovd. Stupid move. He could have easily outsprinted Hushovd if he had tried, instead he tried to block him (and push him into the rails.)

Well, I'm certainly no huge fan of Cav, but that it truly harsh.

I've watched it in slow mo, several times and he hardly changes his line at all.
On the contrary, there does appear to be a slight bow in the barrier alignment, then, it opens out, around the curve.

So, if the French want to play the overly officious bureaucrats that they are known to be, that's up to them.

If I were Cav and they don't reverse this decision, I think I'd pull out, now, rather than slog over the Alps for a week, with the Green Jersey gone and only victory on the Champs to play for.
Leave them with a week's worth of egg on their faces, with another no contest competition.
Cap off this shit tour.

Have a couple of Vuelta weeks, instead.

 

[indurain666]

I have read a lot of misinformed posters on this board, but you sir take the cake. The only "idiot" I see is you.


Here's what Brad Wiggins had to say:

I don't quite understand what went on today. George Hincapie is a legend and deserves to be in yellow tonight![/QUOTE

heheheeh welcome to the forum!!!

You can't insult members of this forum, or you are going to get a warning buddy, so keep your cool

Hincapie a legend??? LOL...now that takes the cake!!!

 

[seidodge]

If Cav pulls out he's a bigger baby than I imagined.

Whatever happened to sucking it up and getting on with things...

 

[Azdak6]

Astana let the lead grow from 5 minutes to 8.5 before AG2R took over. Also remember the similar stage in 2001 where a large break took 35 minutes on the peloton (on similar roads - into Strasbourg I think). It took Lance a number of days (not until the Pyrenees) until he was back in yellow. Why let the break gain that much time again. And third, George is no rookie - he is a strong rider - why let him get a 5+ minute head start.

As to why Garmin pulled at the end? Payback for Cav's comments at the beginning of the Giro. I suspect had they won the TTT last week, they wouldn't have felt so compelled.

Astana Twitter comments:

LA: Our team rode a moderate tempo to put him in the jersey by at least 2 mins. Ag2r said they would not defend then they started to ride.

LA: Until 10km to go he was solidly in yellow until GARMIN put on the gas and made sure it didn't happen.

LA: And I reiterate. @ghincapie deserves to be yellow tonight. He deserves more than that. Look to who pulled the last 50k to see who to blame.

JB: Bummed, really bummed about George Hincapie not getting yellow. Won't elaborate on the strategies but what Garmin did was just BS. Sorry!

LA: Last thing. There were 13 guys in the breakaway. We had 2 guys riding "tempo". That is not chasing by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[fpcyclingn]

gg Garmin, way to blackball yourself, good luck with that podium sirs

 

[RhodriM]

Here's what Brad Wiggins had to say:

I don't quite understand what went on today. George Hincapie is a legend and deserves to be in yellow tonight!

Yeah I just read that on his twitter, so why was his team chasing?

 

[fpcyclingn]

I have read a lot of misinformed posters on this board, but you sir take the cake. The only "idiot" I see is you.


Here's what Brad Wiggins had to say:

I don't quite understand what went on today. George Hincapie is a legend and deserves to be in yellow tonight!

heheheeh welcome to the forum!!!

You can't insult members of this forum, or you are going to get a warning buddy, so keep your cool

Hincapie a legend??? LOL...now that takes the cake!!!

Wow... this guy *is* an idiot. Apparently his mom forgot to tell him that cycling is a team sport.

 

[Anonymous]

Astana Twitter comments:

LA: Our team rode a moderate tempo to put him in the jersey by at least 2 mins. Ag2r said they would not defend then they started to ride.

LA: Until 10km to go he was solidly in yellow until GARMIN put on the gas and made sure it didn't happen.

LA: And I reiterate. @ghincapie deserves to be yellow tonight. He deserves more than that. Look to who pulled the last 50k to see who to blame.

JB: Bummed, really bummed about George Hincapie not getting yellow. Won't elaborate on the strategies but what Garmin did was just BS. Sorry!

LA: Last thing. There were 13 guys in the breakaway. We had 2 guys riding "tempo". That is not chasing by any stretch of the imagination.

Yea, well so was putting your two guys on the front in stage 3 when the 2nd group (CONTAINING YOUR STRONGEST RIDER) was only 18 seconds off catching.

I think The Hog needs to stick to pontificating about his own team's tactics. The fact is that AG2R held yellow, not Astana.

 

[klodifan]

Methinks LA doth protest too much

Astana Twitter comments:

LA: Our team rode a moderate tempo to put him in the jersey by at least 2 mins. Ag2r said they would not defend then they started to ride.

LA: Until 10km to go he was solidly in yellow until GARMIN put on the gas and made sure it didn't happen.

LA: And I reiterate. @ghincapie deserves to be yellow tonight. He deserves more than that. Look to who pulled the last 50k to see who to blame.

JB: Bummed, really bummed about George Hincapie not getting yellow. Won't elaborate on the strategies but what Garmin did was just BS. Sorry!

LA: Last thing. There were 13 guys in the breakaway. We had 2 guys riding "tempo". That is not chasing by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[seidodge]

The fact is that AG2R held yellow, not Astana.

And furthermore who are astana to dictate to garmin who they can and cannot ride for.

If its OK for Astana to ride for Hncapia, why is it not OK for Garmin to ride for Ag2r

Complete BS by lance and bruyneel

 

[indurain666]

Yea, well so was putting your two guys on the front in stage 3 when the 2nd group (CONTAINING YOUR STRONGEST RIDER) was only 18 seconds off catching.

I think The Hog needs to stick to pontificating about his own team's tactics. The fact is that AG2R held yellow, not Astana.

Amen. I am sick of the LA and JB BS

 

[Anonymous]

And furthermore who are astana to dictate to garmin who they can and cannot ride for.

If its OK for Astana to ride for Hncapia, why is it not OK for Garmin to ride for Ag2r

Complete BS by lance and bruyneel

Whitney Houston has nothing on them in the diva department.

They think they should dictate who wins everything I guess? I love Garmin even more now.

 

[MKirilenko]

Yup, this is sad. Even johan had to put his few cents in it, like he has anything to do with Garmin's tactic. Dumb. And they r calling others (Brajkovic tweeted) to whine about that more. This is starting to be ridiculous.

 

[Doug Laipple]

"Like they say in Spanish, even God dislikes idiots." ... indurain

I've never heard Lance say ANYTHING bad about you.

 

[Anonymous]

Yup, this is sad. Even johan had to put his few cents in it, like he has anything to do with Garmin's tactic. Dumb. And they r calling others (Brajkovic tweeted) to whine about that more. This is starting to be ridiculous.

Ok, FUNNY, read the third tweet down. His girlfriend works in a pharmacy...that's just funny. Who'd a thought?...

 

[TheDeliverator]

The breaks lead increased while Astana was at the front...

At 53km, the advantage was 1’00”. Astana led the peloton from 55km onward. Hincapie was the best place on GC of those in the escape group and, at 78km, he became the virtual leader with the peloton at 5’30”.
The maximum gain of the escape was 8’50” at the 120km mark. At 145km, the AG2R team moved ahead of Astana at the head of the peloton and by 150km, the deficit of the peloton was 8’00.

As you can see, when Astana was leading the "chase" Hincapie increased his lead. When other teams took over the chase the lead went down.

Can't dispute the clock.

 

[indurain666]

Wow... this guy *is* an idiot. Apparently his mom forgot to tell him that cycling is a team sport.

Sorry. mom didn't ride bicycles.

So let me get this "team sport" straight: Columbia should ride for Astana, but not for AG2R? And Garmin should ride for Astana too, but not for AG2R...seems pretty confusing to me


(I am sorry, I am just a little bit slow)